Candidate Lee Byung-hoon: "We Must Foster 'Baeknyeon Gage' for Cultural and Economic Coexistence"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Lee Byung-hoon, a preliminary candidate of the Democratic Party for the National Assembly election in Dong and Nam Districts (Eul) of Gwangju Metropolitan City, stated on the 24th, "We must expand successful models for small business owners by fostering century-old stores."

In a press release on the same day, Candidate Lee argued, "We should discover century-old stores centered around representative markets in Dong District such as Daein Market and Namgwangju Market, as well as specialized streets like Yangnim-dong Historic Village and Chungjang-ro, and expand 'artisan stores' with Gwangju's unique characteristics where culture and economy coexist."

He also emphasized, "Due to gentrification and other factors, old artisan stores are not being protected, and unique local stores are declining, causing the distinctive characteristics of alleyway commercial districts to disappear. Consumer visits also tend to decrease, so efforts to improve this are necessary."

He added, "It is necessary to establish a support system for specialized preservation and create specialized streets centered on artisan clusters."

Previously, Candidate Lee Byung-hoon proposed pledges for small business owners and self-employed individuals such as "A country where small business owners and the self-employed prosper!" and "Doubling the issuance of alleyway commercial district exclusive currency to expand support for small business owners and the self-employed."

Meanwhile, Candidate Lee currently serves as the vice chairman of the Democratic Party Policy Committee and has held positions such as the head of the Gwangju General Election Headquarters for President Moon Jae-in's campaign, Deputy Mayor of Culture and Economy of Gwangju Metropolitan City, and head of the Asia Culture City Promotion Team.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.